This invention relates to a seesaw switch with an LED (light emitting diode) element, and more specifically to a seesaw switch with a light emitting portion of the LED element exposed from the surface of a seesaw button.
Seesaw switches with a light source have already been proposed and known in the art. These seesaw switches may be classified into two types according to the type of light source; one with a miniature incandescent lamp and the other with a light emitting diode element. Since the smallest possible incandescent lamp would be substantially bulkier than any light emitting diode element, the seesaw switch with an incandescent lamp as the light source should become large-sized as a whole. Although capable of providing a higher level of illumination, the incandescent lamp consumes a larger amount of electric power as compared with the LED element. It is prefarable that a light source provided for a seesaw switch has a long life time and a low power consumption as well as emits no heat. Accordingly, the light emitting diode element is preferred to the miniature incandescent lamp as the light source for a seesaw switch.
Seesaw switches with a light source may be classified also according to the position in which the light source is set. That is, some light sources are fixed to a case of the seesaw switch, whereas others are attached to a seesaw bottom of the switch. The seesaw switch of the former type may be simple in construction, only requiring a light transmitting portion in its seesaw button, though it is obliged to have a bulky case due to the incandescent lamp. Although the light emitting diode element may also be used with the switch of the former type, it cannot clearly indicate the button position because it should be located separated from the seesaw button so as to decrease its brightness. Therefore, the incandescent lamp is usually employed for the light source of a switch of such type. On the other hand, the seesaw switch of the latter type usually includes a light emitting diode element as its light source, so that it hardly varies from the one with no light source in size. Moreover, the light emitting portion of the light emitting diode element is exposed from the surface of the seesaw button, so the position of the seesaw button and circuit condition may be clearly indicated. In the seesaw switch of this type, however, the light emitting diode element is forced to move along with a rockable seesaw button, and must be securely electrically connected with terminals fixed to the case, leading to complicated construction of the switch which results in a switch which is unfit for mass production.